The Canadian Cancer Society wants to extinguish the notion that smoking is glamourous

Sharon Stone in Basic Instinct. John Travolta in Grease. Audrey Hepburn in Breakfast at Tiffany’s. Michelle Pfeiffer in Scarface. Clint Eastwood in The Good, the Bad and the Ugly.

Many Hollywood classics feature iconic scenes of a star smoking a cigarette or cigar. But iconic doesn’t always mean cool; research indicates that young people are more inclined to try smoking after watching actors in movies light up.

According to Dr. Elizabeth Richardson, medical officer of health for Hamilton, “when youth see their favourite celebrity smoking on the big screen, they are 16 times more likely to have positive attitudes about smoking in the future.”

“The Canadian Cancer Society is really concerned about youth exposure to positive depictions of smoking in movies,” says Nicole McInerney, senior coordinator for public issues and youth advocacy for the Ontario division of the Canadian Cancer Society.

“Movies and television are one of the last places where tobacco use can be advertised to people of all ages,” she adds. “There’s no regulation in these industries for on-screen smoking. When you see these repeated exposures to celebrities or people they idolize on screen, it works similar to product placement.”

About 90 per cent of smokers start smoking before the age of 18, making youth the perfect target for tobacco advertising.

Plus, McInerney says, “You never see negative impacts of smoking on screen. You never see characters getting sick or getting lung cancer, so it’s really putting smoking in a positive light.”

With all this in mind, the Canadian Cancer Society has launched an initiative to engage youth in promoting smoke-free movies.

Members of the Society’s youth advocacy group — a group of about 100 volunteers between the ages of 14 and 24 who support Canadian Cancer Society advocacy efforts to change provincial policy — will be attending this year’s Toronto International Film Festival. They’ll be making their way to a number of the different galas on September 7 and engaging with people waiting in line for film viewings.

“They’ll be educating them on the issue, telling them what they can do to support change and securing their support for smoke-free movies by asking them to sign a postcard of support or an online letter,” McInerney explains.

The group will also have their own setup at a festival venue where members of the public can have their photo taken against a special Hollywood-themed backdrop and learn about the cause. In keeping with thetheme, the young volunteers will be donning their best red carpet-worthy frocks and suits. The event is similar to one held last year organized by Toronto Public Health and attended by Canadian Cancer Society youth volunteers.

“It’s a lighthearted form of advocacy, bringing attention to these issues in a very positive manner,” McInerney says.

The awareness-raising may be lighthearted but the goal is real. “Right now, tobacco use is not considered when a movie is rated. We’re asking the Ontario Film Review Board to change its rating system so that movies with smoking on-screen require an adult rating or an 18A rating.

In effect, this would make it so that all youth-rated movies — G, PG, and 14A — would now be smoke-free.”

Support for the cause seems to be widespread in Ontario. A March 2011 Ipsos-Reid poll found nearly three in four Ontarians would be in favour of movies rated for children and teens being free of smoking depictions. For those who want to voice their support, the Canadian Cancer Society has created a webpage where Ontarians can write an online letter to their MPP.

Smoke-free movies are among several causes the youth advocacy group — only in its first year — is supporting. Its volunteers also do work on issues such as banning flavoured tobacco products and indoor tanning for youth.

“We encourage youth to really use their voices and their creativity to speak up, to further our advocacy efforts that are aimed at policy change at the provincial level of government,” McInerney says.

Young people between the ages of 15 and 24 who want to get involved with the youth advocacy group can contact Nicole McInerney at NmcInerney@ontario.cancer.ca